Tag Archives: doctor-patient communication

Want narcotics just ask for them?

Posted on Wednesday, April 2, 2014

A very disturbing new study was just published, in which physicians viewed a video of a patient with back pain asking for OxyContin. Twenty percent of docs said they would prescribe that med under that circumstance: …Too often, doctors prescribe … Continue reading →

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Discussing Financial Toxicity in Oncology Settings

Posted on Tuesday, January 28, 2014

The American Society of Clinical Oncology is one of the leading specialty organizations for physicians who take care of patients with cancer. A reporter from ASCO just wrote a nice piece, in which she questioned me to go into more … Continue reading →

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More Discussion about Discussing Out-Of-Pocket Costs

Posted on Monday, December 23, 2013

In the wake of my recent New York Times op-ed, and other writing about patient out-of-pocket costs, I was interviewed by Tammy Worth, a writer at Renal and Urology News. She did a great job of exploring this controversial topic. … Continue reading →

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Getting Good Cancer Care by Asking the Right Questions

Posted on Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Not long ago, I spoke with a freelance journalist, Charlotte Huff, who put together a really nice article in Cancer Today, describing how cancer patients can get more engaged in their care. I thought I would share a bit of that … Continue reading →

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If Batman Was Your Doctor

Posted on Monday, December 9, 2013

I thought I would pass along this hilarious cartoon, suggesting a new way to “nudge” patients to use fewer antibiotics. Of course that nudge requires your doctor to be Batman, and Batman to be a pretty assertive type of physician: … Continue reading →

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Are You Getting Too Much Medical Care?

Posted on Thursday, December 5, 2013

This summer I had the pleasure of speaking with a very intelligent journalist, who was working on an article about overtreatment in medical care. That article has just come out, and I thought I would give you a sample of … Continue reading →

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Why Discussing the Cost of an MRI to Evaluate Knee Pain Can Be a Total Pain

Posted on Friday, November 15, 2013

I want to share a wonderful blog post with you, written by one of “my” students, Laura Mortimer – a student in the Masters in Public Policy program at the Sanford School at Duke, who also happens to be a talented … Continue reading →

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Newsweek Tackles the Challenge of Money Talk

Posted on Wednesday, November 13, 2013

In response to the New England Journal article I published with Yousuf Zafar and Amy Abernethy, Newsweek chimed in this week with a report on the topic, including some thoughtful commentary from other medical experts. I thought it was worth … Continue reading →

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Doctor, First Tell Me What It Costs

Posted on Monday, November 4, 2013

If an antibiotic would cure your infection, your doctor would probably still warn you about the chance of sun sensitivity before prescribing the pill. But even when the costs of a medical intervention might force patients to choose between paying the bill … Continue reading →

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Can Comics Improve Medical Care?

Posted on Monday, October 28, 2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTRvoQGBs0Y”

Take a look at this wonderful video where a physician and a nurse explain how comic books, what they called “graphic medicine”, can improve medical care. You might also want to check out the website of the graphic medicine collaborative they have … Continue reading →

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